Taking a break from the set of A Hard Day’s Night, John Lennon spent his morning (23 April, 1964) at the Dorchester Hotel in London for a prestigious Foyle’s literary luncheon. The gathering, led by chairman Osbert Lancaster, was organized specifically to celebrate John Lennon and his debut book, In His Own Write.

The guest list was a “who’s who” of 1960s culture, featuring Helen Shapiro, Marty Wilde, Yehudi Menuhin, and Mary Quant, Arthur Askey, Harry Secombe, Millicent Martin, and Joan Littlewood, Brian Epstein.

Despite being the guest of honor, Lennon was caught off guard by the tradition of delivering an acceptance speech. When prompted to speak, he offered only a brief, bashful remark: “Er, thank you all very much, and God bless you.”

Realizing the brevity might seem underwhelming to the distinguished crowd, Brian Epstein quickly took the microphone to provide a more formal address and smooth over the moment.